Patim week 9

This week we worked hard and were rewarded with some progress in our area. One day this week we tracked it and we walked 10 miles. Last week in total we walked 40 miles. I think that I have walked an insane amount on my mission. We were blessed yesterday to have Edy come to church. I had given him a shirt to wear but he did not even weat it to church. He is the brother of Dilla, a recent convert. We are excited to keep working with him and we hope to mark a date with him for baptism this week. He is 19 almost 20. We have been sleeping on thin pads on the ground since I have gotten here, but this week we finally got some mattresses. Now it feels like we are living it up. We had a family night the other night with Sara and her family. It was good to strengthen them. We got to eat some goat cheese again which was good but later destroyed my stomach for the night. Final thing for this week was that we had the opportunity to do service for a man who we contacted on the street. We actually helped him and his friends build a wall of rocks. It was fun talking to them. Still going strong, still loving the mission. I will see you all next week. Tchau!                          

Patim week 8

This work is very important, and because of that there is always opposition. This week felt like a battle. On the other side of the island there was a big accident where a car hit a bunch of people on the side of the road who were there worshipping a Catholic saint. 17 were injured and 4 have died so far. The people were all from Patim so this week has been full of mourning and funerals and saddness for these people. We have taught the Plan of Salvation a lot. A lot of our investigators have not shown a lot of desire. We are trying to help out Zezito but he lives so far away that it is dificult to reach him. He has also not kept the appointments that we have made with him. I love my new companion Elder Graham. He is quiet but cool, and he is organized which is awesome to me. We are now determining to work more up in Monte Grande because there are tons of people there with potencial. Lots of birthdays this week: My companions, my Moms, and my Dads. I know that life is not easy, but when we put our faith in Christ it is a lot easier, and a lot more worth it. I love this Gospel more than anything, and I wish you all the best week and a happy Summer.

Patim week 7

So this week I got my new companion or "son". His name is Elder Graham and he is strait from the MTC. He is from Idaho Falls. He is really chill and I know that we are going to have a blast together. This week I was stuck in Praia until Saturday because I forgot my passport and could not take the plane back. My son went back to Fogo before me and stayed with the Zone Leaders in São Filipe. I stayed in Terra Branca in Praia with my old companion Elder Sailors and his trainee Elder Somalo from Chile. Elder Sailors should actually be home right now but he extended his mission for another transfer. It was good to serve with them but I am relieved to be back in my own area. We had very few people in church this last Sunday so we are going to get to work visiting members and helping our investigators to prepare for baptism. We are still working with Juliana, Eder, Elisa, Carlene, Tuda, and Zezito to be baptized this transfer. I included here some dogs that were caged in a house in Praia. They are so ugly that they are almost cute as Elder Sailors said. I am happy serving the Lord and I am excited to end my mission strong. I love you all.

Patim week 6

Today has been crazy so I cannot write a ton. It was a good last week and we saw success in finding new people to teach and marking baptismal dates with them. Juliana and her brother Eder are doing good and we hope that they will be baptized on the 25th of this month. There is also a man that we found named Zezito and he is really cool. He is about 50 years old but lives with his parens who are old and does not have kids or a wife. He had stopped us earlier on the street and said that he wanted to talk to us. We passed by and taught him the Gospel and he accepted a date to be baptized on the 25th as well. He lives very far away from the church but he commited to go to church this Sunday. We had transfers today and early in the morning we had to take a boat to Praia because Elder Bennion came here to serve and I am picking up a trainee. I think his name is Elder Braham but I am not sure. I am excited. The boat over by the way was 4 hours and was basically a living Hell. That might be an overstatement but I threw up once. Good timers. Because I forgot my passport I may have to take a boat back to Fogo.  I took a picture with this guy because I liked his sweater. In the baptismal picture Sara is the little girl in blue behind her sister.